'Miraculous Year' Not Going Forward At HBO

EXCLUSIVE:HBO has opted not to proceed with John Logan’s hourlong pilotThe Miraculous Year, which was directed by Kathryn Bigelow. I hear that the appeal of the project — an exploration into a high-powered New York family: a self-destructive Broadway composer (Norbert Leo Butz), his powerful painter father Alex (Frank Langella) and his attorney sister Mandy Vance (Hope Davis) — was probably too narrow. The cast of the pilot also included Eddie Redmayne, Linus Roache and Patti LuPone as well as guest stars Susan Sarandon and Lee Pace. HBO has had a busy pilot pickup year starting with the Michael Mann/David Milch collaboration Luck, which has already been ordered to series. The Diane Keaton starrer Tilda is still awaiting word while backup scripts are being written and reshoots on the pilot are being done. HBO’s recent pilot orders include the Justin Theroux/Steve Coogan comedy Documental, Armando Iannucci’s comedy Veep, Alan Ball’s drama All Signs of Death and the untitled Lena Dunham/Judd Apatow comedy.

26 Comments

This project appealed to me more than any of the other ones in development. Darn.

Marc • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

I know, right–it sounded wonderful. Maybe it can find another home? Hopefully they’ll at least release the pilot; I’ve been looking forward to this for months.

Her name was Lucille B. • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

“Too narrow.” The minds of Sue Naegle and MIke Lombardo are too narrow. A show about horse racing is more inclusive than a show about broadway? Give me a break. Hope this show goes to AMC. It is fast becoming cable with balls. Since HBO won’t cancel that piece of crap Entourage I am wondering if they even know what they are doing.

Broadway and the creatives behind it rake in over a billion a year from audiences world wide. The interest is there. The real story is about a family. Everyone can relate to family. Doesn’t matter what business they are in.

Lombardo and Naegle are scared to have a gay character on their network. I am far more interested in this show than LUCK or Boardwalk Empire. Sad for John Logan. He is an extreme talent. I loved this script and LOVED this cast. Logan is brilliant. These execs are not.

Jay C. • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

How is HBO too afraid to have a gay charactar in a series? Haven’t you ever heard of Six Feet Under? Michael C. Hall played a closet homosexual in the series, which was arguably HBO’s best drama series of all time pending how you want to look at it. You have no idea what you are talking about. Also, LUCK is about the underworld of horse racing, most likely to deal with fixing races and would likely involve some form of a mob in the series as well, and I dont know about you but I would love to see a show like that. Boardwalk Empire is the best drama on all platforms of TV right now; from network to basic cable to premium cable. THE BEST. As you are sad about this not being ordered to series, as am I, it is not the end of the world. Networks like Showtime and yes, AMC can still pick it up. I wanted to see this go forward but it WAS DEFiNITELY appealing to a more narrow audience than Luck or Boardwalk Empire would be/are. Regardless, I think you need to get your facts straight about HBO not wanting to have homosexual characters in their ordered series. COMPLETELY NOT THE CASE. You are just looking for excuses, in my opinion. It was a narrow demographic no matter how you look at it. End of story. And if HBO passed on it, it surely has LIMITED options outside of HBO; only Showtime and AMC would acquire this, no one else. Good luck, Miraculous Year.

In general whenever someone spends a paragraph or two describing a project (film or TV), and you still don’t have any real idea what it’s ABOUT (protagonist, conflict, stakes, etc…), and words like “exploration” are used to describe it — that’s usually a bad sign.

Also I have no point of reference for what a “high-powered” and “powerful” painter is. And what’s the difference between “high-powered” and “powerful” anyway? If you have to choose two adjectives to describe a show and its main characters, not a good sign when the writer chooses the same word.

e • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

Shame. Sounded very intriguing, cast & plot wise. K. Bigelow can do no wrong for me. Hope the pilot will be released either on the network or on DVD.

the script was actually horrible, and reinforced the long tradition of successful gay screenwriters who can’t seem to create compelling gay characters, to save their lives.

Kathy • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

How could you have READ the script?

nyguy • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

They should have designed Miraculous Year for Kevin Kline, I couldn’t picture anyone but him when I read that script.

moxie the maven • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

Sorry, but casting Norbert was a mistake. Great script but that role is the Dexter/Tony/Don and I have a hard time imagining Norbert capable of walking that line between unlikable and compelling as a leading man.

love's labours lost • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

This was a great piece…the director choice was odd but the script was a delight. A real disappointment.

“Anonymous”……that’s quite a snarky statement….Do you have examples to back up your extremely generalized statement? Why would you say something like that and sign “anonymous”. It seems to be a trend here and a very easy thing to sit behind your computer and post incendiary comments and sign “anonymous”.

parker • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

According to IMDB –

Luck – centered around characters who are tied to the same horse-racing track.

All Signs of Death – an inveterate twenty-something slacker who stumbles into a career as a crime scene cleaner.

The Miraculous Year – A chronicle of a New York family as seen through the eyes of a charming yet self-destructive Broadway composer.

– yet only the last one’s appeal is “too narrow”?

milessilverberg • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

The appeal was too narrow? If you put all the people who relate to the character profiles for Sex and the City (middle-aged single women with seemingly unlimited resources who live like twentysomethings), The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire (mobsters), and Entourage and Curb Your Enthusiasm (overpaid yet chronically unsatisfied celebrities), they wouldn’t fill the studio audience for a live taping of this show. They need to come up with a better reason than that.

Bridget • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

I’m with Moxie Norbert Leo Butz is not a leading man for film or TV….

smartman • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

Norbert Leo Butz? Didn’t they start out at Philip Seymour Hoffman? Weren’t there about 45 more appealing prospects between PSH and NLB? Bad casting equals failed pilot. Only thing that would have been worse is Raul Esparza.

just saying • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

the script was fantastic. kevin kline would have been great, 20 years ago. raul esparza was an interesting idea though who knows if he can carry a tv show. certainly more appealing than butz. justin theroux would have been fantastic (maybe a bit too hot…)

Jackadoodle • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

It’s a shame. The script was absolutely terrific – highly interesting characters, a unique premise and fantastic dialogue. Read it if you get the chance.

caleb • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

Yawn. who cares, a pilot got passed on. Big deal.

Carol Altemus • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

I’m so disappointed that HBO didn’t pick this up. AMC should pick it up. It seems to be the only network these days that takes chances.

RYDOG • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

One of the best pilots I’ve read in a while. I agree with others here — Logan should take it elsewhere. And then he should hire me on his staff.

MadHollow • on Nov 9, 2010 2:11 pm

BUT . . . Starks Sands and Lee Pace! What are you doing HBO!? A great disapointment.